Institute for Policy Outreach to conduct state-wide review of Child and Family Services
The Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies Institute for Policy Outreach and the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) are engaged in a project to conduct a statewide review of Child and Family Services. The partnership between represents an ongoing innovative and collaborative approach to assess and improve the delivery of social services by incorporating the latest developments in academic research and the practical provisions of public services.
According to Joe Rees, executive director of the Institute for Policy Outreach, the contract is a "reflection of our role as a public management laboratory," where the best in national practices are reviewed and enhanced to provide the most current and productive administrative applications to state government.
The contract provides more than $1.8 million to support a Child and Family Services Review Team charged with conducting an assessment of federal, state, and local interaction in the provision of child protective services, foster care, adoption, family preservation and family support, and independent living programs. The research team is jointly developed and managed between VDSS and the Institute for Policy Outreach. In addition to evaluating conformity with applicable federal requirements, the assessments are designed to help Virginia improve child welfare services and the outcomes for families and children who receive services by identifying strengths and needs within State programs, as well as areas where technical assistance can lead to program improvements.
Specific components of the two-year project include review and evaluation of current programs; reporting on and recommendations regarding program conformity and enhancements; and the development of a new effectual review instrument. Additional project functions will be local and state agency consultation and training and an evaluation of placement and treatment options using a novel matrix approach. According to Lynette Isbell, VDSS Child and Family Services Review coordinator, "the case reviews conducted by the Virginia Tech analysts will produce data that will lead to a more thorough and consistent application of state policy as it relates to safety, permanency, reunification, and well-being of children and families involved with the Virginia child welfare system." The overarching goal of the project will be to use local, state, and government resources to the fullest extent possible to ensure that children are protected and placed in permanent and stable environments.
The development and training of the Child and Family Services Review Team has been accomplished and the team's work began in full in January 2005. By the end of the first project year the team will have conducted reviews of all of the local departments of social services--approximately 120 agencies--and each agency will have received a report detailing strengths and areas needing improvement.
The Institute for Policy Outreach has been involved previously in research projects with VDSS in establishing an automated eligibility system, reviewing best practices in information technology applications, and reviewing opportunities and implementing strategies to increase federal support of social service programs. "We are in our fourth year of our productive relationship with the State of Virginia and VDSS and are excited about the prospects for new advancements in the delivery of state services," states John Talbott, IPO Associate Director. "The net affect of these collaborations are improved efficiency and programs for the state and the opportunity to blend theory and practice for Virginia Tech, which is a win/win relationship for both."
The College of Architecture and Urban Studies is one of the largest of its type in the nation. The college is composed of two schools and the departments of landscape architecture, building construction, and art and art history. The School of Architecture + Design includes programs in architecture, industrial design and interior design. The School of Public and International Affairs includes programs in urban affairs and planning, public administration and policy, and government and international affairs. The college enrolls more than 2,000 students offering 22 degrees programs taught by 160 faculty members.
